


Go After Her

by 29PheonixLement



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:49:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27323014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/29PheonixLement/pseuds/29PheonixLement
Summary: A prompt I was sent about after the hospital wing scene and how Lupin and Tonks finally got together after Harry left with McGonagall in the book.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks
Comments: 22
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**_“I’ve told you a million times”_ **

Her words rang like a skipping record in his head making his heartbreak and soar all at once the longer the semi-quiet of the hospital wing pressed in around them.

“Go after her.”

Even Molly seemed surprised at the amount of strength in those three simple words as she shared a look with her husband behind her daughter’s back. Remus however continued his sulking examination of both his worn shoes and the new cracks in the hospital wing floor as the sound of Tonks’s retreating footfalls grew harder for all but his own wolf enhanced hearing to pick up.

“Go after her.” Ginny tried again not one to be ignored to easily as her hand closed tightly around a fistful of the front of the ex-teachers’ robes dragging him upward like a puppet on a string.

“Ginny.” Hermione jumps in but her best friend shakes her head not going to be swayed as she continues backing one of her few favored teachers toward the double doors of the hospital wing by the front of his robes.

“After everything, she’s done for us, are you really going to side with him on this?” Ginny snaps

Hermione shakes her head, her eyes flickering over toward Ron who’d gone back to staring at his unconscious brother laying in the bed before focusing back on the angry gaze of her best friend. “Of course, I want Tonks to be happy Gin. She’s like a sister to me the same as she is for you.” For a fraction of a second, both teenagers looked at each other than their gazes slipped toward the half-open door Tonks had tripped her way out of.

Lupin stumbles back a few steps his eyes still on the ground but he didn’t move beyond that still listening in as Tonks’s soft sobs tear fresh wounds in his heart as she seems to trip to a stop in one of the closer corridors.

“Go. After. Her. Remus.” Hermione this time pleads with him now back taking the open seat beside a shell-shocked Ron holding his hand in comfort as his gaze remains glued on his brother.

“I can’t.” The werewolf confesses his eyes tightly closed as if he could simply force the hurt away, his voice soft yet audible in the quiet of the hospital ward. Fawkes having flown off to cry his lament to a different part of the castle.

“Of course, you can,” Ginny argues. “Although you are too dense to see it what you and Tonks have is a real honest to Merlin love and age, money or your once a month condition shouldn’t stand in the way of a love like that.”

“Ginny, dear—” her mother tries to step in but one hard look from her daughter was enough to quiet even her as Ginny once again rounds on the mute werewolf.

“Her Patronus _changed_ because of you. Do you know about that?” Ginny kept going ignoring the new sting in her hand as Remus nods instead of giving a verbal answer. He hadn’t had the chance to see her new one himself but if the whispers he’d heard where anything to go by hers now matched his own.

“You told us yourself that the _only_ time that can happen is if the pair share an unbreakable love.” Again, Remus nods his head in agreement peeking up when he felt more than saw Ginny take a few steps closer to him. “See a love like that-like what you and Tonks, Harry’s mum and Dad, Bill, Fleur, Mum and Dad, Harry and me, heck even Ron and Hermione if they’d stop being too thick.” She paused at her brother’s sleepy spluttering but waved him off and kept going. “Love like that doesn’t care about if one part of it is a little older or how much money they have or make or if they are a werewolf. Love just is.”

Remus peeks up from his contemplation of the floor his eyes finding Molly’s rather than Ginny’s seeing the elder witch dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief as she leans against her husband’s shoulder her eyes like those of everyone (who were still awake that is. Fleur having crawled into the magically enlarged bed beside her unconscious fiancé a little while before to at least attempt sleep.) in the room on Ginny’s rigid back.

“So knowing that Remus Lupin, you are going to go find that poor woman, get on your knees and tell her how sorry you are for hurting her all this time when it’s clear to anyone with eyes that you love her as much as she loves you no matter what pathetic excuses you try to hide behind.”

“Lilly please,” Remus begs only seeing a splash of blurry red hair before his eyes shaped closed as the last of the adrenalin of the earlier fight drains away leaving a tiredness that rivals the ones he was so used to after full moons.

“No, Professor, she’s right. Tonks has suffered enough.” Luna rather than Ginny argued as the red-haired teenager tries to scrub away angry tears now sliding down her cheeks only for more to follow. Up until then, they’d all assumed, she like Neville was already asleep with how quiet she’d been.

“You have suffered enough too, sir.” The silverly blonde says wistfully “Besides, it would be fun having color-changing wolf pups running around the castle one day.” She giggles with a tired yawn as she lays back in one of the emptier beds a few over from the group around Bill’s.

Instead of answering the tired girl’s halfhearted attempt at an amusing comment or continue wracking his equally tired mind to come up with some kind of argument that wasn’t a repeat of his earlier list of reasons he wasn’t worthy of Nymphadora’s love Remus wraps his arms around the red-haired teenager yet to stem her tears letting her hide her them instead in the front of his robes.

He stayed like that for several long moments until Ginny seemed to sober up a little with a whispered “Thanks Professor.” As she steps back out of the circle of Remus’s arms.

“It’s alright,” the ex-teacher promises rocking back on his heels while Molly after taking a few seconds to motherly fuss over the now sleeping Luna wraps her arms around her daughter’s shoulder in a sympathetic hug. “I’ll find her.” Remus promises meeting Ginny’s tear-filled eyes then looking into all the (awake) faces around Bill’s bedside. “I solemnly swear I’ll tell her the truth.” Lupin vows before all of them.

“About ruddy time.” Ron mutters in a tired yawn as the double doors close behind the exiting werewolf sliding his arm around a dozing Hermione’s shoulder as she uses his own as a pillow.

“Accio map.” Remus murmurs once he realizes Tonks had essentially disappeared for even his heightened senses to pick up during his scolding by her red-haired adoptive sister. He just prayed she hadn’t left the grounds just yet as he repeats his vow rather than recite the actual phrase to summon the map as he tapped the tip of his wand against aged parchment the moment it touches his outstretched hand.

_“Mr. Prongs thinks it’s about time Mr. Moony stops being thick-headed and is proud of his fellow troublemaker for allowing himself to be happy.’_

_“Mr. Padfoot would also like to express his congratulations to his marauder brother while also reminding Mr. Moony that should he hurt this more colorful member of Mr. Padfoot’s family (i.e. breaking her heart AGAIN) Mr. Moony will be hexed into the next decade in the most unpleasant of ways.’_

Remus blinks a few times at the more adult comment from one of his best friends when the map bleeds into life. _‘He must have updated a few of the spells when Harry was staying at Grimmauld’_ Lupin reasoned rereading the notes before they fade away leaving only the front of the map in place. “I’ll try Sirius,” Remus vows unfolding the first few pages. “I just hope she’ll believe me.” He sighs hunting in the mess of labeled dots for the one he needed.


	2. Chapter 2

“Mm--Miss Tonks?”

The sound of her name is finally enough for the mousy haired Aura to lift her head from its pillowed place in her arms. A pair of wide green eyes fixed on her tear-stained face as the worried-looking house-elf pulls himself up onto a stool, he magicked into being beside her own.

“Wotcher Dobby.” Tonks sniffs only now realizing that her mindless wondering of the castle had brought her down to the kitchens. She’d taken so many twists and turns in her tripped run away from the hospital floor that she could have ended up in the middle of the Black Lake before she’d stopped and allowed the tears to fall freely.

It had taken her a few long seconds for her to recognize him as well under the multiples of thick woolen hats staked on his head and the surprising number of hand-knitted socks encasing his feet.

“What can Dobby do to help Miss?” the house-elf asks worry and curiosity clear in his round eyes.

 _Would you mind heading up to the hospital wing to beat some sense into a thick-headed werewolf for me?_ Was the first suggestion that crossed the broken-hearted woman’s mind but instead she shakes her head dropping her chin back on her folded arms “Thanks for the offer Dobs, but---"

The house-elf was already shaking his head the move threatening to topple the small stack of hats “Dobby wants to help.” He argues earning a watery half-hearted smile from the Auror currently sulking in the corner. She knew she shouldn’t be hiding away like this when the castle still needed to be put right and last she’d heard the Mister was on his way, yet Tonks couldn’t find it in herself to want to leave her cozy little spot in the Hogwarts kitchens.

“Well if it’s that important to you.” Tonks sighs earning a wide grin from the elf as he nodded his head her warm little corner. “Got any hot cocoa handy?” she asks making herself a little more comfortable as she hides a yawn behind her arm. The weight of the day starting to set into her tired limbs.

“Of course, Miss Tonks.” The house-elf smiles hopping off the stool and giving a low bow. “Dobby will be right back.” He promises while Tonks nodes and goes back to hiding her face in her arms.

She must have dozed off considering that when she next opened her eyes she was no longer sitting hunched over one of the back tables in the Hogwarts kitchens but stretched out on one of the overstuffed couches in the Hufflepuff common room.

A glance to her right showed the very man she’d been trying her hardest to get away from asleep himself half curled in one of the softer armchairs the common room had to offer as Tonks sits up running a hand in her hair as the patched jacket that had been covering her as she slept slid into her lap as she moved.

 _He looks so much younger when he sleeps_. She muses looking him over but too soon she remembers his latest rejection as her fingers curl around the mug of still warmed cocoa on the side table. She can feel the slight tingling from the warming charm her companion put on the cup as she lifts it to her lips for a drink.

“I can feel you staring.”

Even the husk in his voice has her traitor heart flipping in her chest as he turns to face her. “I’m allowed. You’re the one that chose to go to sleep in the badger den after all lion.” She tries to joke quietly wishing her drink was a few degrees warmer so it could scold her tongue and give her an excuse to stop talking.

“Between them your den was closer than mine, and you needed rest.” Remus reasons playing along with her little game as he stretched himself out in the plush golden backed armchair. “Dobby helped sneak me in if you will.” He explains giving her a flash of that mischievous grin that plays havoc with the watching witch’s heart rate. “Kind soul that elf.”

“That he is.” Tonks nodes offering over the last few mouthfuls of her drink that Remus takes after some gentle unspoken prodding.

Fawkes’s song drifts over them again filling the uneasy quiet that falls between them both lost in their own tangled thoughts.

“Tonks I lov—”

“Remus please just---”

They both pause the same time but it’s Tonks that finds her voice first. “Yyy- Remus you just called me Tonks.” She stammers in shock. It had been a long while since he’d done so when it was just the two of them. Preferring to use her dreaded first one instead.

“I didn’t think I was allowed to call you anything else.” Remus confesses setting the now emptied mug back on the side table between them.

“You’re not,” Tonks replies tugging his jacket even tighter around her shoulders as she struggles to hold in her mixing emotions. “My heart can’t take it.” Actually, she was wishing the opposite. She craved to hear her name just one more time from his lips.

Lupin lets out a shaky breath running a hand in his already sleep messed hair as he puzzles over the best way to take back all the pain, he’d caused her. He knew she was beyond the point where some pretty words would make her realize he was being completely truthful when he got around to laying out his feelings not that he could properly get any in order to begin to try to the longer he watched her burrow deeper into the borrowed jacket she’d wrapped back across her shoulders out of the corner of his eye.

“I—I should go. Scrimgeour should be around somewhere taking in the damage and I don’t want the headache of not reporting in.” The restraining grip on her wrist puts a stop to that idea just after Tonks rounded the arm of the couch. Her eyes closed despite herself, meaning she felt more than saw the man that as repeatedly broken her heart sliding into her more personal space.

“Don’t.” Tonks begged turning away when it looked like he was going to try and kiss her the same time the rest of her body was leaning into the added heat of his own “We tried doing this before and look where that got us.” But going by the crack in her voice Lupin wasn’t sure just who Tonks was trying to convince him or herself.

“I wasn’t going to kiss you.” The mousy brown haired Auror in his arms gives him a disbelieving glare, but Remus shakes his head “Marauder’s honor. I was only going to suggest we go somewhere a little more private and talk.”

“Oh, so now you want to talk?” Tonks snaps rocking back out of the half-circle of his arms “Yes I know I put you on the spot earlier in hospital with Bill and the others but I’m not sorry about it considering it proved the point I’ve been trying to get passed that dragon hide thick skull of yours.”

“And like I told Molly and the others. Bill will not be a full---”

“Finish that thought and I’ll hex your mouth shut.” Tonks argues going so far as to pull her wand free from the holder on her leg. “I’m not kidding Lupin.” She goes on letting it rest in warning against the middle of his chest when she spies the rather wolfish grin on Remus’s face. “Not another word out of you.”

He nodes in understanding yet the half-smile evener wavers as he heads over toward the comm room door the stops holding his hand out for her to take.

“Oh, does my brat of a werewolf want to go for a walk?” The corner of Remus’s mouth twitches up at the start of a smile as Tonks replaces her wand in the holder and crosses over to his side carrying the empty cocoa mug with her. “And I still have to go find Scrimgeour.” Tonks runs a hand in her unkempt hair wishing it was some other color besides mousy brown.

Returning the mug wasn’t as time-consuming as she’d hoped for as Tonks pulls the patched jacket she’d pulled on tighter around herself when the draft of the dungeons finally managed to overwhelm the small amount of warmth the kitchens allowed.

She finds Remus where she’d left him out in the corridor studying a bit of parchment she hadn’t seen since she was knee-high.

“I always wondered what happened to that.”

“Peter lost it to Filch the last night of our seventh year. Not even James could nick it back before we had to leave.” Lupin tells her most of his attention on his hunt for another labeled dot before remembering her threat of jinxing his mouth shut as he glances over with a nervous expression.

“Figured the rat was the one to lose it.” Tonks shrugged peering at it then shaking her head “Ugh. All those dots are giving me a headache.”

“Well, that’s the only one you need to worry about.” Remus points out tapping a finger against the moving dot baring the Minister’s name.

Tonks cursed under her breath. He was getting too close. Lucky, he did seem far enough away that if they could make it to the secret passages-

“If you want to dodge him—” Remus offers reading her expression like an open book as he refolds the map.

“Please.” Tonks nodes her hand sliding easily back into his own.

As it turns out they hadn’t been as successful in avoiding the lion-like man as they’d thought considering they walk right into him almost as soon as they closed the exit passage leading out toward the grassy banks of the Black Lake.

“You’re not the only one who knows the secrets of these halls.” The gruff faced man says leaning rather heavily on his walking stick whilst eyeing Remus’s surprised expression before his yellowed eyes fix on Tonks beside him. “I take it you were among the fighters?” he spoke only to her, yet from time to time his gaze would slide back toward Remus.

“Yes sir. We stepped in as soon as we realized the castle was under attack.” She answered for them her hand still clenched tightly around Remus’s out of the Mister’s immediate sightline much to Lupin’s quiet thanks.

Scrimgeour gives a soft huff as if gathering his thoughts. “Lucky thing the castle had such strong fighters such as yourselves roaming her halls. Else the casualties may have been much greater.”

Remus and Tonks both blink a few times in surprise not expecting such praise as three sets of eyes lift to the still visible mark leering at them from over the tallest Hogwarts’s tower.

“I left young Percy with his family,” both Order Members wince at the reminder of what happened to Bill. “Arthur has told me of your theories on young Bill’s condition Mr. Lupin. The Ministry will of course be keeping an eye on the young man as he recovers but I thank you for your insights on the matter."

Remus nods his head spotting the way Tonks was gritting her teeth behind Scrimgeour’s back in the warm glow of the castle windows before schooling into a much more drained and battle fatigued expression when he looked back toward her direction. “I shalln’t be seeing you around the office the next few days either.” He quickly raises a hand when Tonks opens her mouth to argue back. “Even a skilled fighter like yourself needs time to grieve those she has lost properly.” The older man reminds Tonks nodes her head her eyes fixed on the darkened grass knowing without looking up that Scrimgeour’s yellowed eyes were fixed in her unchanged hair. “If you will please Mr. Lupin make sure Miss Tonks gets safely back to her room.” The Mister orders jabbing uneasily at the ground with the end of his walking stick.

“You know at some point I will be needing that jacket back.” Remus reminds his tone rather conversational as they start toward the trail leading toward Hogsmeade.

“We just survived a Death Eater attack, lost the greatest wizard of the age apart from Harry, of course, the Mister of Magic himself just tasked you with making sure I survive a walk in the dark back to my room in the village and you’re going on about your jacket?”

“Well, it’s a very special jacket,” Remus tells her sliding his hands into his pant pockets. “And one of the only good things about my condition is that animal or human I have excellent eyesight in dark. Almost as if it were still light out you see. Made adding to the map during the non-full moon nights rather helpful.”

“I’ve always wondered about that.” Tonks nodes “Also explains a thing or ten.” She muses tugging at a stray string on one of the jacket cuffs as she walks along beside him. “This was the same jacket you were wearing when we had that assignment outside the Malfoy pl--.” Tonks remembers but she didn’t get to finish her thought considering Lupin’s mouth pressed against her own far softer than the rough grip of his hands pulling her back against him whilst pressing her back against the smooth stone of the pillars with the winged boars on top bracketing the pathway toward Hogsmeade village.

He pulls away too quickly searching her dazed expression as they both catch their breaths. What he’s looking for she doesn’t know but right now she doesn’t care as she pulls him back needing another taste of his lips on hers. The sting of his latest rejection still hums in her fast-beating heart, but she lets the warmth of his closeness and the sweet cocoa taste of his mouth delay the inevitable crushing feeling when this latest stolen moment ended.

That moment comes again too quick for her liking when Remus pulls away dropping to his knees instead with his head resting against her stomach. His breath a warm tickling when her shirt rode up.

“I’ve been so stupid.”

Tonks lets out a shaky chuckle as she lets her hands card through his graying hair once again memorizing the feel of it under her fingers. “No argument’s here.”

Remus shakes his head without lifting it from it’s resting place nuzzled against her stomach, so his hair tickles her skin on ever move. “Pushing you away I mean.” He clarifies looking up to meet her gaze. “Ginny was right.”

“What does Gin---”

Lupin was already pulling his wand from under his robes still kneeling in front of her as he raised it out of the glow of the overhanging lantern the boar statue was holding.

It wasn’t until the silvery animal had fully formed before her eyes that Tonks realizes this was the first time, she has been able to see an actual corporeal version of Remus’s Patronus.

Just as handsome as she imagined the wolf shakes out his furred coat then pads over to her curiosity in its silver eyes.

The stunned Auror watches as the ghost-like wolf sniffs at her hand then seems to become very interesting in a scent coming from the wand tucked into the holder on her leg. Tonks tries to find her voice to ask what the Patronus wanted as the animal nuzzled its head against the carrier but before she could remember how speech worked the wolf was already backing away out of reach of the street lamp as another misty flash of silver spirals out even without Tonks uttering a single word of the accompanying spell.

“Beautiful.”

Had she not been stunned by the amazing use of magic by the silvery being currently wagging its tail like a domestic dog rather than the wolf it was Tonks would have been blushing pink all the way to the tips of her currently unchanging hair at the amount of awe in the single word.

After shaking out her own coat and padding over to give the kneeling werewolf a greeting lick on his cheek with its silvery tongue Tonks’s Patronus wheels around to face Remus’s.

For a fraction of a second, the two magically created animals gazed at one another as if drinking the other in before they padded closer. A few steps apart Remus’s dropped into a low crouch almost like a bow causing Tonks’s she-wolf to give a please half bark and charge full speed toward the lowered male.

“Definitely yours love.” Remus chuckles when in its enthusiasm the she-wolf seems to trip over her own paws but just like their human counterparts, Remus’s wolf was there to steady her.

Once Tonks’s wolf was steady and the pair had been properly groomed by the other the silvery animals turned as one looking back toward the castle.

The dark mark was still mockingly visible over the tree line as both wolves tossed their heads back with harmonizing mournful howls before they dissolved.

“What was all that about?” Tonks asks after a few short beats of quiet as the sad calls faded from the air.

“Seems they wanted to say goodbye when we haven’t yet.” Remus shrugs with a grateful node in thanks as Tonks helps him back to his feet.

“No, that goof I mean with our wolves.”

“Proving Ginny’s point, I’m guessing.” The ex-teacher shrugs

“At that was?”

Lupin smiles nuzzling his forehead against hers “That you and I, Nymphadora Tonks are meant to be.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Rem?”

He hummed a little to prove he was at least listening to her but didn’t open his eyes nor did he move from his curled place along her back. He knew they had to get up sooner or later considering what day it was, but rather than dwelling on the sadness of the day Remus pulls in another deep breath of Tonks’s scent branding the flavor into his brain so deeply that not even Obliviate would make him forget.

The harsh leathery musk of dragon hide that always managed to transfer to her skin no matter if she was wearing her Auror gear or her more casual dress of one of her many _Weird Sisters_ tee shirts and a pair of jeans, the spiced vanilla of her body wash, the fresh strawberry and cream flavor of her shampoo.

“Remus.” Tonks tries again shifting around in the half-circle of his arms, so she was facing him. “Come on love. I need your opinion.” She explains letting her fingers trace a few of the fresher healed scars newly added to the collection littering her rechristened lover’s warmed skin.

Remus groans a little under his breath but cracks one eye open to see what she wanted leaving the other pressed against the pillow.

“What do you think?” Tonks questions gesturing with her free hand at her own head.

“’s very pink.” Remus yawns still very much half-asleep “like lavender—better.” He mumbles nuzzling more against Tonks collarbone as his eyes close again.

“Me too but I also want to show that I’ve got my abilities back.” Tonks reasons running her hand in her new pink locks. “Or you know back under control that is.” She amended pressing a light kiss against Remus’s jaw.

“So pink?” Lupin questions refocusing his gaze on Tonks’s eyes rather than her hair when it began shifting different shades of the not so Tonks like color.

“So pink.” His rule-breaking lover parrots with a confirming node having finally settling on a rather vivid shade of bubblegum pink.

“I guess it’s all right.” He gives in with a yawn tugging her impossibly closer under the tangled sheet. “but I still prefer lavender.”

Tonks gives a shy blushing smile as she leans over giving his pouting lips a light greeting kiss. “I’ll change when we come back, love.” She promises leaning over to press her lips against his forehead “Now get up lazy bones. As much as I’d want to, we can’t stay in bed all day.”

As if to prove her point a light knock sounded from the apartment door. The couple immediately reaching for wands that weren’t in easy reach for either of them. “Tonks? Tonks dear, are you up yet?”

Molly.

“Mind if I hide in the bathroom?” Remus murmurs against her ear after a quick scan of the Ministry rented apartment didn’t find a suitable closet for him to hide inside. It had been a bit of surprise to find that unlike what he’d assumed about Tonks’s assignment Scrimmager had actually allowed for her to have her own space being the only woman in her department tasked with guarding the castle.

“It’s only Molly.” Tonks whispers back then gives a louder call of “One second Mol.” To assure the waiting mother she’d heard her. It wasn’t that she hadn’t fully enjoyed her stolen time rekindling her romance with the bookish werewolf cruelty laying naked beside her but the longer she thinks on it the more she was starting to feel guilty about cutting off all contact with the outside world the last few days.

“Given how you’re practically a second daughter to her and my track record of hurting you, I’d still pick hiding in the bathroom,” Remus says still feeling around the edge of the bed for something besides a sheet to cover himself with. “Thank Merlin it isn’t Ginny.” He adds on in a low breath hitching his boxers back over his hips.

“Alright.” Tonks sighed earning a light brush of lips against her forehead.

She waits until she hears the click of the water closet door before pulling on the closest shirt on hand then snagging a fresh pair of underwear from the drawer on her way toward the door. “Wotcher, Mo--.”

Tonks didn’t get to finish her greeting in the flash of red hair and the tight grip of arms around her shoulders as soon as the door had opened wide enough for the Weasley mother to step inside.

“Hi, Molly.” Tonks mumbles equal parts guilty and bashful as she reaches up to run a hand in her obviously not all sleep tousled and still bright pink locks once she was released from the tight grip of the hug. _At least the place didn’t reek of sex_ the young Auror reminded herself stealing a quick glance at the still closed bathroom door.

“I came mostly because Ginny’s been worried for you.” Molly starts in obviously choosing not to comment when the elder witch’s eyes immediately land on the unmade bed as she takes in the space. “Frankly so have I considering we haven’t seen you around since—since it happened.”

“I heard they suspended classes.” Tonks nods guiltily hanging her head whilst doing her best to nonchalantly kick Remus’s pants out of sight under the bed. Nothing she could do to hide his rumpled button-up shirt considering she was currently wearing it and his discarded jumper was tossed on the back of the very chair Molly had claimed as her own.

Molly nods with a teasing chuckle when Tonks fidgets under her motherly regarding of the younger witches’ current clothes choice. “She would have come herself after her visit with Bill but Ron, Harry, Hermione and I convinced her to head to breakfast instead before they went down.” The very mention of food has Tonks stomach giving an audible rumbling of its own. “Sounds like you need something too.”

Tonks’s cheeks tinted a darker shade of pink remembering why she had waited so long to even consider thoughts of food.

“Well, I’d hurry up and get dressed before everything is gone.”

“Especially if Ron had anything to say.” Tonks chuckles

Molly was about to say something else when she shifts enough in her seat to spot the sleeve of a very male jumper on the arm of her chair. “Silly me I forgot about chocolate—for the wedding. Can’t very well have a wedding without sweets, now can we?”

Tonks looked up as Molly sprang from the chair as if it had hexed her following the elder witch's gaze toward the discarded candy wrappers Remus had left littering the bedside table. “You okay, Molly?”

Molly’s cheeks were nearly as pink as Tonks’s hair when her eye finished another quick cast of the room this time with a more tuned in eye for the details, she’d missed her first go-round. “Of course, dear. I just need to go talk with Flur about the wedding.” She hurries to say “I should have guessed what was really going on when I saw your hair. Most be getting on in age. I’m so happy, for you both. truly.” Molly’s eyes flickering toward the still closed bathroom door as she trips her way toward the front one.

“Just please, be careful love, Ginny hears _he_ broke your heart again not even _I_ will be able to hold her back next time. You truly are like a sister to her.” The Weasley mother cautions her hand resting on Tonks’s arm.

Tonks’s smile was warmer than before as she accepts another motherly hug. “and I’ll be sure to have one of the kitchen elves send something for you both if you miss the rest of breakfast.” Molly promises when they separate leaning in to press a light kiss to her cheek as she steps out into the hallway. “And I best be seeing you at breakfast as well, Remus.” her tone making it clear she wasn’t taking no for an answer on this point.

“Thanks Molly.” Tonks sighs before the door closes behind her.

“See why I’d prefer hiding?” Remus chuckles his arms wrapping around Tonks’s middle from behind.

“Molly’s harmless. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a foul word from her since I met the woman. It’s Gin you have to be careful of.” The pink-haired witch reminded with a high giggle at the feel of Remus’s lips nibbling against the shell of her ear.

“Good thing I have you to protect me then.” The wolf chuckles tugging the wiling witch back toward the bathroom. “Now I’d say a shower is in order before we report for breakfast.”

The darkening red of Tonks’s hair is his only warning before she spins in his arms her clothes already joining the others tossed away on the floor as her mouth attacks his own in a deep kiss “Ginny already knows no one hurts my wolf but me.” She growls against Remus’s grinning lips while they climb into the shower together as the bathroom door clicks closed.

****

Tonks was positive she wouldn’t have made it through the service without Remus holding her hand. It was only toward the end that she allowed a few tears to fall watching the white tub swallow up the greatest wizard of the age.

“I need to go talk with Gin.” Tonks sighs dabbing at her eyes with the sleeve of her dress shirt turning away from the white slab of shiny marble.

“I think that’s an excellent idea.” Remus agrees wrapping his arms around her in a much more somber yet still comforting embrace then nodes across the lake to where Harry and Ginny were talking close together. Given the tilt of his head, Tonks guesses he was picking up at least snippets of the talk. It still amazes her just how heightened Remus’s scenes where regardless of the moon’s hold. “she’s going to need her big sister.”

Tonks's hand tightens in his when Lupin’s arms drop from his hug, but Remus gives a soft smile bringing their joined hands up to brush his lips against the back of hers. “I wasn’t going to let you go alone.” He promises as they watch Ginny turn and walk away while Harry hangs his head.

“Give him hell, Prongslit.” Remus murmurs making Tonks’s eyebrow raise curiously until her eyes follow his to spy Scrimgeour on the move toward the black-haired Chosen One.

“I think a nice tall butterbeer is in order.” Tonks decides talking aloud as she pulls her werewolf along as she sets off to follow her ginger-haired ‘little sister’ along the other side of the lake.

“Maybe a trip over to Honeydukes.” Remus nodes in agreement. “What chocolate always helps with all ailments especially those of the heart.”

Tonks rolls her eyes at the comment. “until it runs out that is.” She points out her gaze never once leaving her target as she speeds up her pace.

“Touché.” Remus chuckles matching her pace with ease.

“Gin.”

Ginny’s head was still bowed at Tonks’s call, but she did stop to show she’d heard it. Neither Remus nor Tonks indicated they catch the red-haired girl swapping at her eyes with the sleeve of her robes and even if they did, they’d both swear it was because of the sadness of just losing her headmaster. “Hey, Tonks.” She sniffs turning her head at their approach her red-rimmed eyes narrowing only a little when she noticed they were still holding hands. “New look?”

“Yeah, trying something new.” Tonks nodes making a bit of a show of spinning around so they got the ‘full effect’ of her current hairstyle. “Whatcha think?”

Remus and Ginny both make unimpressed faces.

“Not a fan, to be honest.” Ginny sighs.

Tonks flashes a light smile with only a hint of actual mirth as she shakes out her hair the color bleeding from medium-length pink curls back to her usual lavender pixie cut.

“There you are.” Remus smiles whilst Ginny gives an honest toothy grin as she closes the distance for the already offered hug.

“Welcome back.” The ginger-haired witch whispered hugging on just a bit tighter than normal when Tonks’s arms fold around her back.

“Thanks for not giving up on me.” Tonks whispers back ducking her chin to hide against Ginny’s shoulder.

Even Remus takes a second to compose himself when Tonks rocks back on her heels sporting a pig snout that after triggering its intended effect of a Ginny Weasley giggle immediately shifts to a duck’s bill. “Still got it.” Tonks grins with a little bow while Ginny holds her sides as she tries to quiet a new round of giggling.

“I think this deserves a Marauder special.” Remus decides once they all had laughed their fill at the little stunt. “Just don’t let Molly know of course.” He adds rubbing at the back of his neck with a nervous kind of smile at the twin raised eyebrow looks the two women were sending him.

“I’d say I’m in.” Ginny says in a low voice after sharing a brief glance with her purple-haired sister that ended with the elder witch giving the decided “Up to you, just remember firewiskey has more kick than you’d think even cut with butterbeer.” vote to the grinder haired teenager with a shrug of her shoulders. “Only if we stop at Honeydukes first. I could really use a chocolate frog or three.”

“Told you so.” Remus grinned in pride while once again Tonks rolls her eyes giving his shoulder a not so playful punch in response. “Keep it up and you sleep on the floor tonight, Lupin.”

“You wouldn’t.” Remus pouts while Ginny lets out a dry cough of a laugh as she falls into step with the arguing couple.

“You really wanna take that chance?” Tonks questions turning to the teenager walking on her other side. “Gin you think Hermione would be up for a girls _only_ night tonight?”

Remus pulls Tonks to a rough stop just before they reach their destination of the highstreets sweet shop. The wolf’s lips capturing her own before she could do more than draw in her next breath.

A loud cough that didn’t come from Ginny breaking the couple apart.

“About time you two stopped being so thick-headed and got together, but you’re not the only ones with a sweet tooth ‘round here.” Pomona Sprout reminds with a cheerful smile despite the redness of her tears rimming her eyes. The comment reminding the kissing couple they were still blocking the door to the sweets shop.

“Everything is much sweeter with a little more love in the world.” The herbology teacher smiles ushering the other three into the shop.


End file.
